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Atari Dig

The dig for a long lost Atari game has begun, and games have been found.

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Updated: 10:50 PM MDT Apr 27, 2014

Atari Dig

The dig for a long lost Atari game has begun, and games have been found.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 10:50 PM MDT Apr 27, 2014

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WEBVTT VIDEO GAME FANS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ARE LEAVING NEW MEXICO WITH THE ANSWER TO ONE OF THE INDUSTRY'S BIGGEST MYSTERIES. WERE THOUSANDS OF GAMES REALLY BURIED IN ALAMOGORDO, INCLUDING ONE CONSIDERED AMONG THE WORST EVER? KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER ALANA GRIMSTAD WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION TO FIND OUT IF "E-T" WAS ACTUALLY OUT THERE. DEEP IN THE NEW MEXICO DESERT "Best adventure so far." FANS AND FILM CREWS FOCUSED ON THE BIG PILE OF TRASH, WONDERING WHAT MYSTERY LAY BENEATH. "A lot of pressure right now." ALL EYES WERE ON THE GARBAGE ON THE GROUND, EVEN WHEN THE WIND MADE IT HARD TO KEEP THEM OPEN. "It's stinky and it's dusty." LEGEND HAD IT THAT THIRTY YEARS AGO, ATARI--THE GODFATHER OF VIDEO GAMES--BURIED THOUSANDS OF E-T GAMES UNDER THE OLD ALAMOGORDO LANDFILL. APPARENTLY, THE GAME WAS A BUST AND ATARI WAS TRYING TO GET RID OF THEM. "I don't want to say I was a geeky loner, but I loved playing games." AND SO AFTER WONDERING FOR DECADES "Finally." AND THEN WAITING FOR HOURS "I was like, 'WHAT!'" BOOM-THERE IT WAS, TANGLED IN THE TRASH-A SMALL PLASTIC BOX THAT SMOTHERED ALL DOUBTS. "They found the games. Good Lord!" "Here's your chance to take an up close and personal look at the very first game to come out of the earth, buried 30 years ago, covered in trash. Besides a few dents, it's in pretty good shape." "I'm just so excited to be here." FOR MOST, THIS DIG WAS A PEAK INTO THE PAST The experience I had making the game was awesome." BUT FOR THE MAN WHO DEVELOPED THE GAME, THIS WAS PERSONAL. "This is intense. It's just fabulous. Because I still feel like look at all this excitement that's been generated today over something I did 32 years ago." AND NOW TO THE MYSTERY WE SAY"GAME OVER." "It's exciting just to see this go on." IN ALAMOGORDO, AG KA7N. ARCHEOLOGISTS SAY THEY'LL NEVER GET A COUNT OF EXACTLY HOW MANY GAMES WERE BURIED; BUT IT'S SAFE TO SAY THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ATARI CARTRIDGES IN THE LANDFILL. THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS PART OF A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT ATARI, WHICH WILL AIR ON THE X-BOX NETWORK

Atari Dig

The dig for a long lost Atari game has begun, and games have been found.